34 free air tickets; Rs 60K to clean curtains: Perks of an MP

With the new Members of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha being sworn-in on Thursday and Friday, Rediff.com looks at the salaries and perks that our elected representatives are entitled to.

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Monthly Salary

Each member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha is entitled to receive a salary of Rs. 50,000 per month during the whole term of office.

Daily Allowance

Rs 2,000 per day for each day of residence on duty (Daily allowance shall be paid only when a member signs the register maintained for the purpose).

Constituency Allowance

Rs. 45,000 per month.

Office Expense Allowance

Rs. 45,000 per month.

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Travelling Allowance

A member is entitled to the following allowances for the journeys performed for attending a Parliament Session or meeting of a parliamentary committee or for the purpose of attending any other business connected with the duties as a member from the usual place of residence to the place of duty and for return journey from such place to the usual place of residence:

By rail: One free non-transferable First class AC or executive class of any train pass and one first class and one second class fare.

By air: One and one-fourth air fare of the airlines in which the member travels.

By road: Rs. 16/- per km.

Travel Facilities

Air travel facility: Every member has been given the facility to avail 34 single air journeys a year with spouse or any number of companions or relatives. The spouse/companion can travel alone eight times in a year to meet the member. Any journey performed by the spouse, companions or relatives shall be added in computing the ceiling of 34 air journeys.

Rail travel facility: A member is entitled to travel at any time by any railway in India in first class air-conditioned or executive class. The identity card issued to the member is non-transferable. The identity card also entitles the member to be accompanied by one person in air-conditioned two-tier, while travelling by rail.

Facilities for spouse of a member: One free non-transferable railway pass to travel in first class air-conditioned or executive class in any train, and if travelled by air, an amount equal to the air fare, from the usual place of residence of a member to Delhi and back during Parliament Session subject to 8 such journeys in a year.

The spouse is entitled to travel in first class air-conditioned or executive class in all the trains with the member from any place in India to any other place in India. A member having no spouse is entitled to accompany with any other person in lieu of spouse in any train in first class air-conditioned or executive class from any place in India to any other place in India in addition to the facility already available to the member in respect of one companion in AC-II tier.

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Transit accommodation:

After every general election for Lok Sabha, arrangements are made for stay of newly elected members temporarily in state governments’ guest houses/bhawans, hotels, etc. in New Delhi in consultation with Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Urban Development. Such accommodation is treated as transit accommodation.

Regular accommodation:

Each member is entitled to a rent free flat or hostel accommodation throughout the term of office. A member allotted housing accommodation in the form of a bungalow on request shall pay full normal licence fee if entitled to such accommodation.

Guest accommodation:

The guests of members can avail accommodation at Western Court Hostel, Janpath.

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Other facilities enjoyed by members include washing of sofa covers and curtains every three months; furniture within the monetary ceiling of Rs 60,000 in respect of durable furniture and Rs 15,000 for non-durable furniture; and also 25 per cent remission in the rents on account of any improvement or addition made to it or any additional service provided thereto by way of furniture, electrical equipment and other services.

Telephone facilities

A member is entitled to have three telephones, out of which at least one telephone should be installed at residence or office in Delhi and one at usual place of residence or a place selected by the member in the constituency or the state in which the member resides; the third telephone can be installed at either of the aforesaid place. 50,000 local calls during a year are free on each of the three telephones.

Water and electricity

4,000 kilolitres of water and 50,000 units of electricity (25,000 units measured on light meter and 25,000 units measured on power meter or pooled together) per annum.

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A member of Parliament is entitled to same medical facilities as are available to the Class-I officers of Central Civil Services, under Central Government Health Scheme.

Advance for purchase of conveyance

Upto Rs 4 lakh are advanced to a member for the purchase of conveyance.

Recovery of the said advance, together with interest thereon, as applicable on loan to government servants, shall be made from the salary bill of the member in not more than 60 equal monthly instalments which shall not extend beyond the tenure of membership.

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For the purpose of income tax, the salary and allowances received by member are taxed under the head “income from other sources” and consequently, no income-tax is deducted at source. The daily allowance and constituency allowance are exempt from income tax.

Purchase of computers

Under the provision a member is entitled to purchase computer equipment -- desktop, laptop, printer, scanner, palmtop, e-reader etc. within the monetary ceiling of Rs 2 lakh.